Banque Populaire: a 2026 sailing season full of challenges!

The Banque Populaire Team, driven by a strong sense of shared achievement and innovation, is getting ready for a particularly busy season.

An ambitious program of solo and crew events is in the works aboard the Maxi Banque Populaire XI, with victory as the sole objective. Armel Le Cléac’h will attempt to win the legendary Route du Rhum, starting on November 1^st. The team has embarked upon a series of painstaking preparations where everything counts: the experience gained since the boat was first launched in 2021, the 56-day solo round-the-world trip in 2024, the ten transatlantic crossings already completed, and the 150,000 nautical miles already covered (277,800 km)!

To help Armel get back into the swing of solo sailing, the Ultim will be launched this month. The skipper will then be able to set sail this year to attempt to break two records – the Cadiz-San Salvador solo and the Jules Verne Trophy – as well as compete in the Odyssée Ultim, a new race in the Mediterranean that starts and finishes in Antibes, from May 3 to 7.

At the same time, construction of the IMOCA Banque Populaire 14 continues in preparation for its scheduled launch in early 2027. The members of Banque Populaire Team have been working for over a year in constant contact with all the companies involved in the construction of this new monohull at the cutting edge of innovation. The team is reconnecting with its shipbuilding heritage by pouring all its expertise into this major project.

Loïs Berrehar, its future skipper, will race for the first time under the colors of the “Bank of Sailing” in the series of races included in the Figaro circuit and, in particular, “La Solitaire” in May, with victory in his sights. Loïs will begin training this January before returning to competitive racing in March. Discover the calendar of the 2026 sailing season for the Ultim, Figaro, and IMOCA categories at voile.banquepopulaire.fr.